Machine for cutting dried pastes.



K. GAMMEL.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING DRIED PASTES.

Patent'ed Oct. 9,1917.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l. 191|.

K. GAMMEL.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING DRH-:D PAsTEs.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l. |911.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

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MACHINE FOR CUTTING DRIED PASTES.

APPLICATION man szPr. v1. 1911A UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

KARL GAMMEL, OF CLETELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND MACARONICOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A

CORPORATION O F OHIO.

MACHINE FOR UUTTING DRIED PASTES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 191 '7.

fb all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL GAMMEL, a subjectof the Emperor of Germany,residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Cutting Dried Pastes, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

It is well known that dried, edible pastes, such as marconi, spaghetti,and similar products, are extremely britth` and that the breakage lossesfrom handling such products preparatory to placing the same in shippingpackages is very large. Heretofore, it has been customary to break theproduct manually into the desired lengths in order to prevent breakageand waste as much as possible. These food products are usually made in apress in the form of tubes which are usually dried by hanging them overa support such as a rod, and this practice results in forming a doublestick, the two parallel portions of which are connected by a bend orbow. Owing to the diiiiculty of breaking the particles evenly when theoperation was performed by hand, the bent portions are generally ofirregular lengths and for this reason become a waste product entailing aloss.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means whereby ediblepaste proclucts, such iis macaroni, spaghetti, and the like, may be cutinto accurate lengths with a minimum of breakage.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby theproduct may be transferred to a suitable conveyer while still suspendedfrom the rods or supports on which the drying operation takes place,thus avoiding'any handling of the macaroni by operators.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a cleanand even cut or break may be made without shattering the adjacent endand causing a breakgA further object of the invention is to provide asuitable arrangement of cutters and conveyers so that the cuttingoperation may be performed automatically and so that the len h adjacentto the curved end of the tubes or strips may be packed with the outerportions,

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement ofcutters which will enable the bent portions to be cut oii' of uniformlength so as to produce a useful product, and if desired to enable thebends to be left intact, integrally connecting the two adjacent lengthsof the double stick.

Further objects of the invention will be hereinafter more fully setforth in the following description of one form of mechauism embodyingthe invention which consists in the new and novel features ofconstruction and combination of parts set forth in the followingdescription and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

The machine comprises a frame 1 the upper portion of which supports atable, or plate 2 in a horizontal position. At one end of this table orplate 2 a shaft 3 is supported in suitable bearings, and this shaftcarries a roller 4 having necks 5 forming pulleys for a plurality ofhorizontal conveyers or belts 6. The upper runs of these belts lie uponand pass longitudinally on the upper face of the table, while the lowerruns pass under the table. At the opposite ends, these belts pass arounda roller 4* similar to the roller 4a and provided with necks 7 formingpulleys like pulleys 5 and receiving the belts as shown.

Between the necks 5 and 7 of these rollers, integral collars 8 areformed to separate the belts as indicated. Power is applied to the mainshaft 9 of the machine by means of a belt lrunning over the pulley 11and the main shaft 9 extends transversely across the machine near oneend thereof, and is provided with a plurality of single knives orcutters 12 in the form of disks, attached to suitable hubs 13, securedon to the shaft 9 as shown in Fig. 3. By suitable gears inclosed in agear case 15, the main shaft 9 drives a countershaft 16 which isdisposed parallel to the shaft 9 and below it. This countershaft 16carries a plurality of knives or cutters 17 which are similar to thecutters 12 and arranged in pairs. Each pair coperating with one of thecutters 12.

The arran ement is such that each cutter 12 is dispose between theplanes of the cutters 17. rlhe roller 4h at the head of thc left end ofthe machine, as shown in Fig. 2, is continuously rolated in thedirection oll the arrow indiraled in Fig. l by means oll a gear wheel lnrigid on the shal't ol the roller, meshingl with a pinion lll which iscarried by the slialt ll and these gears are inrloscd in a suitable 2f{ear case 2l) as indicated. rlhe shafts J and llf are rotatablysupported at their ends in bearings formed in brackets 2l and 22. Saidbrackets being held in a liXed relation by a plurality of cross bars orhorizontal braces 23.

Tt should be understood that the macaroni or other substance to be cut,is in the form of sticks laid transversely on the table and is advancedtoward the entiers by the mor intel bells (L and in order to guide lhoslicks as they ad rance. near one edge ot' the table, l prmielr :i guidelfonrll or rail 211' which projects upwardly as indiratrd. rl`lupnlYleys 5 and T are crowned slightly as shown so llial their edges aredepressed in thil ril-inily oi' llul knives` or culti-rs, and.y as shownniorl clearly in Vig. 2. the cutters are disposed opposite the gaps oropenings 2f) between the belts or beyond the edges of the outeri'nostbelts. The macaroni sticks are forced between the upper cutters l2 andthe lower cutters 1l and are severed into lengths which pass on to aninclined guide plate 26 down which they pass on to a horizontal table 2Tor delivery plate; from this table. they can be removed by operators andplaced in packing boxes.

The driving belt 10 normally runs on a tight pulley 11 but may beshiited over to a loos(l pulley ll by a belt shil'ter 2S comprising ayoke 29 through which the belt runs.r said yoke haring its lower endsecured by a clamp 30 to :i rock shaft Ill extending` longitudinally atthe side of the machine. This roclfshaft may be rocked so as to placethe belt on either pulley by means of two treadles 32 and 33, connectedrespectively by cords 34 and 85 to rigid arms 36 and 37 carried by therock shaft. As shown in Fig. 8, these cords pass around suitable guidepulleys 3B and 89. An arm 36 extends downwardly, While the arm 37extends upwardly so that the depression of these treadles Will rock theshaft in opposite directions. The shaft 3 of the roller 4 is mounted inboxes 4'() which are adjusted in horizontal guides 41 b suitableadjusting screws 42. This enabes the tension of the belts 6 to beadjiils'ted as desired. l

InI Figs. 2 and 3, the cutter, which is adjacent to the guide rail 24,is indicated in dotted lines to show that this cutter may be removedwhen it is desired not to sever the bends of the double sticks, but whenthis cutter, is' in place, the bends will be ont off of substantiallyuniform lengths. In practice, the dried pastes or sticks are broughtl'roni the dryingl room or machine in the l'orni ol' double stickscorn'iected by integral loops which slisprnd the sticks on a support orrod. 'lhese double sticks arr then laid (ransrersrly on the tabl(I 2with the bends oll (he sl icks alined against the inner face of theguide rail 2l. 'lhe rod which supported the paste sticks is then pulledout longitudinally ot the table so as to withdraw it 'l'roni all thesticks. chine is set in operation by a pressure upon the treadlc 32causing the conveyer or belts G to carry the product toward the cutterswhich are adjusted upon their shafts in such a inanner that thc lengthscut adjacent to the curved ends will be very slightly longer than theother lengths. Then` when the single sticks and the unserrred, bentsticks arr palkeil together they will lil neatly in the package n ithonllos,s oi' spare, the single slirlis lillingl in llw spare between llaIslrnls oi" the double sticks.

Owing lo the arrangenwnl o'l' llncutters, -i perliel'll); rien andsnniolb rid or break is obtained without cracking or shattering theadjacent ends olf the cul portions. liy havingl the portions oi'accurately predetermined lengths. it is obvious that more product byweight can be placed into a given package than is possible when variousother lengths and broken pieces are mixed with longer portions. Thisconstruction also permits the product to be cut ready for packingwithout handling by operators which is required whcn the breaking' ofthe macaroni is performed manually. Although I have shown one form olmechanism embodying my invention. il is obvious that Various changeswithin the skill of a mechanic can he inade therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, providing thclme'an-s set forth in thefollowing clalms be employed.

I claim as my invention: y

1. In a machine for cutting dried edible paste sticks, a horizontaltable, a plrality of belts extending longitudinally of said table andhaving their carrying sides supported by said table, a pair ofhorizontal shafts disposed transversely of said table and in a planeperpendicular to the i1' per run of said belts the upper shaft being aove said belts and the lower shaft being luider the upper runs oi saidbelts, rotating collars disposed between said belts to maintain them inspaced relation, a plurality of cooperating cutters carried by saidshafts and disposed opposite the spaces between said belts, means fordriving said belts toadvace the sticks thereupon t'o said cutters and auincline adjacent one end of tile u: per run of belts positioned toremove t le cut sticks from the belts.`

2. In a machine for cutting' dried edible paste sticks, the combinationwith a roller '.lhereupon, the mahaving a plurality of necks to Jformpulleys having a greater diameter adjacent their centers than adjacenttheir opposite ends, a plurality of belts looped about said pulleys,cutters between said belts revoluble in planes transversely of thenormal plane of the belts and having their cutting edges disposedadjacent the edges of the belt as they are depressed ourJ of theirnormal plane by passing about the reduced ends of the puleys.

3. A machine for cutting dried edible paste in the form of double sticksconnected by integral loops, comprising a horizontal table, a pair ofrollers having a plurality of pulleys, a. plurality of belts passingover said pulleys and extending longitudinally on said table, said beltsbeing disposed apart, means for maintaining said belts in set position,a transverse sha t passing over said belts, a second transverse shaftpassing under the upper runs of said belts and opposite the said firstshaft, said shafts being provided with cooperating cutters, said cuttersbeing disposed opposite the spaces between said belts and beyond theouter edge of said belts, and means for driving said belts, a guidingmeans disposed relatively close to one of the edge cutters and adaptedcopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe to guide the loop ends of the sticks into position to be severed atthe loop.

1. In a machine for cutting dried edible pastas, a cutting deviceconsisting of a cutter in the form of a single flat disk and pair ofcutters in the form of single disks similar to the first named disk andhaving their edges cooperating with the edges of said first cutterduring the severing of the goods to form a rigid support and permit aelean break, said first cutter being in a plane between the planes ofsaid last named cutters,

5. In a machine for cutting dried edible pastes, a cutting deviceconsisting of three similarly shaped cutters in the form of flat disks,two of said cutters being spaced apart and arranged on one side of thenormal path of travel of the goods and the other cutter being disposedon the other side of said path and entirely between the planes of thefirst mentioned cutters.

This specification signed and witnessed this 98th day of August, A. D.1911.

KARL GAMMEL.

lVitnesses:

G. R. COLLAR, E. M. HOLMGREN.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

